The instant invention relates to toy guns, and more particularly to an air-powered toy gun which is operative for firing a plurality of projectiles, such as foam balls, in rapid succession.
Air-powered toy guns which are operative for filing projectiles, such as balls and the like, have been found to have relatively high levels of appeal among children. Air-powered toy guns of this type generally comprise barrels for receiving and containing balls therein, and piston-and-cylinder assemblies which are operative for applying compressed air to the barrels thereof in order to individually launch the balls therefrom. Guns of this type, which are adapted for launching resiliently compressible balls, generally further comprise inner ridges adjacent the outer terminal ends of the barrels thereof for forming airtight seals with balls located adjacent the ridges so that sufficient amounts of air pressure can be developed before the resiliencies of the balls allows them to pass the ridges in the barrels thereof and thus break the airtight seals thereof. On the other hand, guns of this type which are adapted for launching balls which are not readily compressible normally include resilient seal members for forming airtight seals with the outermost balls in the barrels thereof so that sufficient air pressures can be developed to launch the outermost balls substantial distances. In either case, guns of this type have frequently been adapted for individually launching pluralities of balls, one ball being launched each time the piston in the piston-and-cylinder assembly of a gun is advanced forwardly a sufficient distance in the cylinder thereof to increase the air pressure in the barrel thereof to a level which is sufficient to fire the ball therefrom. However, in virtually all of the previously known guns the pistons in the piston-and-cylinder assemblies thereof must be fully retracted and then re-advanced in the cylinders thereof for second balls to be launched. Consequently, the heretofore available guns of this type have generally not been adapted for firing balls in relatively rapid succession.
The instant invention provides an effective ball shooting gun which is adapted for individually firing a plurality of balls in relatively rapid succession. Specifically, the toy gun of the instant invention comprises first and second barrels, and it is adapted for alternately firing balls from the first and second barrels thereof in relatively rapid succession. Still more specifically, the toy gun of the instant invention comprises a piston-and-cylinder assembly which is connected to the first and second barrels so that it is operative for applying pressurized air to the first barrel when the piston in the piston-and-cylinder assembly is moved in a first direction in the cylinder thereof, and so that it is operative for applying pressurized air to the second barrel when the piston in the piston-and-cylinder assembly is advanced in an opposite second direction in the cylinder thereof. Consequently, when the piston is manually advanced forwardly in the cylinder a first ball is fired from the first barrel, and when the piston is retracted in the cylinder thereof a second ball is fired from the second barrel. As a result, balls can be launched from the toy gun of the subject invention at approximately double the rate at which they can be launched from a toy gun of conventional construction.
The first and second barrels of the toy gun of the instant invention are preferably located in substantially parallel relation, and the piston-and-cylinder assembly is preferably adapted so that the piston travels in the cylinder in substantially parallel relation to the first and second barrels. The toy gun of the instant invention is preferably adapted for launching resilient foam balls from the barrels thereof, and the piston is preferably substantially axially aligned with one of the first and second barrels. Each of the first and second barrels is preferably adapted for receiving a plurality of balls therein so that a plurality of balls can be individually launched from each of the barrels.
It has been found that the toy gun of the instant invention has specific advantages over the previously available toy guns. Specifically, it has been found that the toy gun of the instant invention is capable of launching a plurality of foam balls from each of two separate barrels, and that as a result, it is capable of launching balls at approximately double the rate of conventional ball shooting guns. Further, because the barrels are in substantially parallel relation the balls from the two barrels are launched in approximately the same direction. Still further, because the piston-and-cylinder assembly is preferably axially aligned in substantially parallel relation with one of the barrels, a user can more easily aim the gun while reciprocally moving the piston in the same general direction as the barrels are aimed.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide a toy gun which is operative for launching a plurality of balls in rapid succession.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a toy gun which is capable of alternately launching balls from each of two separate barrels.
An even still further object of the instant invention is to provide a toy gun which is operative for shooting a ball from a first barrel when a piston of a piston-and-cylinder assembly is moved in a first direction, and for shooting a second ball from a second barrel when the piston is moved in an opposite second direction.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.